Bus firm shifts to busier site in city

Jacqui Taylor-Lynds is among staff dealing with queries from irate bus customers. Photo / John Stone

It is too early to say if another bus firm picking up passengers at Whangarei Town Basin will cause more headaches for staff of The Hub who regularly field complaints about the existing service that stops there.

The InterCity bus company will move its pick-up and drop-off point from Rose St to The Hub at Whangarei's Town Basin, where its competitor firm, Manabus, has a bus stop.

However, unlike Manabus, which takes all its bookings online, InterCity's move will include the shift of its physical offices, currently at 3 Bank St.

Staff at the Whangarei District Council-owned and operated Dent St Hub constantly deal with queries and complaints from Manabus customers, despite having nothing to do with the bus company.

Their customers were sometimes difficult, said council spokesman Paul Davis.

It was unclear what effect InterCity's move would have on the situation with Manabus customers.

"Occasionally there are irate customers," Mr Davis said.

"Our staff there do have to explain to passengers that we're simply the information centre rather than the bus terminal.

"The staff can get caught in the middle of a situation that's out of their control."

Timetable information, requests to store baggage and queries about late arrivals and departures were among the issues.

"It's just part of the work our staff do in terms of serving visitors to Whangarei," Mr Davis said.

The Town Basin had a vibrancy as a result of the foot traffic.

For the year ending June 2015, foot traffic at The Hub was up 17 per cent on the previous year.

"Part of it down to the frequency of buses that arrive," Mr Davis said.

InterCity's move would see even more visitors to the Town Basin. About 80,000 people, including 15,000 international visitors, used InterCity's Whangarei service each year, a spokesman for the company said.

InterCity's Sam Peate said The Hub provided better amenities, with the bonus of information on accommodation and sightseeing.

Whangarei's other intercity bus services - Manabus and Nakedbus - merged at the start of this year and have combined timetables, though they still operate under separate brand names.